The Trouble with Apples
by Mira Meliandra
Summary: Summary: Oneshot, AU, Post-BoTFA, everybody lives. The Princess Dís, sister of Thorin Oakenshield and mother of Fíli and Kíli, decides to host a feast for her family and Thorin's company. The inspiration springs from a little detail from the book.


**The Trouble with Apples**

The battle had been won. There had been losses, of course, but all members of the company of Thorin Oakenshield, including their burglar, had survived. Some of them were a bit worse for the wear, some had sustained serious injuries, but finally the healers had declared that they all would recover.

Thorin Oakenshield, the soon-to-be-crowned King Under The Mountain, had used the time he had to spend on the sickbed to reconcile with Master Baggins. The fact that the hobbit had accepted his heartfelt apologies without further ado took a heavy load off his mind. Right after this, the King spent quite some time with Balin, Bilbo, Gandalf, Bard and even Thranduil, discussing a strategy to protect him from falling prey to the gold sickness again.

After the necessary precautions were taken, some more time went into the composition of messages to the Dwarves who had once been driven from Erebor by the dragon's attack. They all had to be informed of the fact that their home had been reclaimed. They all had to be invited to return to Erebor. Messages were written, ravens were sent. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. The reconstruction of Erebor was in full swing.

And they started coming. A steady trickle of travellers arrived from all directions. They passed through Mirkwood, silently escorted and protected by Elven warriors. They came from the Iron Hills. They came from the Blue Mountains. Some came alone; more came in small groups and big caravans. They were happy to return to the home they once lost. The younger ones were eager to see the place their fathers and mothers had told them about.

And finally, one sunny day saw the arrival of Dís, daughter of Thrain, sister of Thorin Oakenshield and mother of Fíli and Kíli. Shouting with joy, the young princes didn't even wait until she dismounted her pony. They plucked her straight from the saddle, taking turns to hug her. She, in return, showered her sons with kisses, wept at their shoulders and whispered tender words of love to them. It was a great celebration.

Laughter, gleeful shouts and whispered endearments filled the air when Gloin welcomed his wife and his young son Gimli, and even more when Bombur's children piled out of a carriage and lined up to greet their father who was busy swinging his wife around in greeting.

All over the courtyard, families were reunited and friends were welcomed. And finally, Thorin got the chance to embrace his sister and welcome her to their home. And if she noticed the hint of tears glittering in his piercing blue eyes, she didn't say a word and only hugged her beloved brother closer.

Some weeks later, Dís decided to host a great feast to thank Thorin's company for their heroic efforts, celebrate the reunion of her family and welcome all who came back to Erebor. A great deal of thought went into the preparations. Dís conferred with the kitchen staff, sent out hunters to bring in the amounts of venison needed to feed all the dwarves, bought meat, grain, fruit and vegetables of all kinds and spent a fair amount of gold on ale and mead. But most of all, at the day of the feast, she went to the kitchens and prepared her sons' and brother's favourite desserts all by herself.

When the evening arrived, Thorin opened the celebrations with a speech in the courtyard. Pork, mutton, beef and venison were roasting on big spits. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. Ale and mead were served. The courtyard was filled with happy Dwarves of all ages, cheering their King and celebrating merrily. Soon, Thorin and his family, accompanied by the members of the company and their families, retreated to the royal dining hall to have their own feast.

From her place next to Thorin, Dís observed the whole table. Kíli and Fíli were chattering with Gimli who couldn't get enough of their tales about their big adventure. Bifur and Bofur were surrounded by the large family of Bombur, taking turns at helping the youngest dwarflings with their food. Dori was enjoying a glass of red wine and looking at Ori who had seated himself a bit apart and was busy sketching the scene. Nori, of all people, was talking animatedly to Dwalin while Balin smiled at this sight. Gloin was watching his son while his brother Oin was talking to Gloin's wife. Everybody was eating, drinking and having fun, just like Dís had imagined it as she had planned the party.

After the main course had been finished off and the used dishes had been taken away, Dís motioned to the servants to bring the dessert. One of the serving maids handed her a golden tray with three dishes on it. Dís thanked the girl, took the tray and placed the dishes before the intended recipients.

A bright smile lit up Thorins face when he noticed his favourite dessert – a delicious raspberry tart. Dís loved to see her brother smile. He did it far too seldom for her tastes.

When his mother served him a pastry filled with cherries, Kíli jumped up from his chair, kissed her on the cheek and thanked her profusely. He'd always had a bit of a sweet tooth, Dís thought by herself as she patted her youngest son gently on the shoulder.

And then, she reached Fíli. With a proud gleam in her eyes, she presented his very favourite sweet dish to him: apple crumble, flavoured with raisins and ground cloves. From his early childhood on, he had all but begged his mother to bake this dish as often as possible.

It took Dís by surprise as her eldest son went pale, then slightly green. He scrunched up his nose in disgust and almost shrieked "Take it away!" And indeed, he didn't calm down until the dish was removed. At the sight of his brother's discomfort and his mother's puzzled expression, Kíli burst into laughter, followed quickly by Thorin and the rest of the company. Dís looked from one Dwarf to the other, shaking her head slightly, but nobody seemed to be able to answer her unspoken questions at the moment. They all were laughing too hard.

With a smile on her lips, the princess sat down next to her brother and ate the apple crumble; glad to be here, in the home of her childhood, surrounded by family and friends. She basked in the sound of their laughter, for there had been times when she had feared never to see anyone of them again, much less hear them laugh. Hard times lay behind them, and whatever the future might bring, they were ready to face it.

The End.


End file.
